Printing machine



wfE. ELAM.

PRINTING MACHINE,

5 APPLICATION FILED APR. II. I919. '1,314,1 33. Patented Aug. 26,1919.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

1 IE- 1 {y \9 0 gum i? /a/ In vwentoz claw/m,

W. E. ELAM.

PRINTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. ll. I919.

,3 1 4, 1 33 Patented Aug. 26, 1919.-,

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

vwomtoz W/ZZZJ'QZZZ 2224422 WWMUT wag Mona e1,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM EARLE ELAM, OF GREENVILLE, MISSISSIPPI.

T PRINTING-MACHINE.

- showing the inking mechanism as having;

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM EARLE ELAM, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Greenville, in the county of Washington and State of Mississippi, have invented new and useful Improvements in Printing-Machines, of which the following is a description.

This invention relates to printing machines and has particular references to that class of printing machines adapted to be used for the purpose of printing or addressing tags.

An important object of the invention is to provide in a machine of the above mentioned character a novel means for supplying ink to the type characters.

A. further object of the invention is to provide in a machine of the above men' tioned character a means whereby the operation of the inking mechanism may be controlled by the operation of the machine as a whole.

A further object of the invention is to provide in a machine of the above men tioned character a means whereby the various elements associated therewith may be readily and quickly assembled.

A further object of the invention is to provide in a machine of the above mentioned character a means whereby the most commonly used names and addresses maybe inserted as a unit into the machine, the type characters in the case of the frequently used names and addresses being strung upon wire clips or retainers.

A further object of the invention is to provide a machine which is simple in con struction, inexpensive to manufacture and reliable in operation.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent during the course of the following description taken in con nection with the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings, forming a part of this specification and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same,

Figure 1 is a sideelevation of the machine embodying my invention,

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the machine,

Fig. 3 is a top plan View of the same,

Fig. 4 is a view similar to that of Fig. 1

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug., 26, 1919.

Application filed April 11', 1919. Serial No. 289,262.

traversed the printing type immediately prior to its being released to permit its re turn to a normal position,

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a plurality. of type retained in proper relation upon a clip to be inserted as a unit into the machine, and,

Fig. 6 is a perspective View of a Wire clip particularly designed to receive a pinrality of printing type.

In the drawings, wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown a preferred form of my invention, the numeral 5 indicates a suitable basehaving secured thereto a standard 6 which at its up or end is bent substantially at right ang es as clearly "shown in Fig. 1 to form a head 7. The head 7 is provided with an elongated barrel 8 having at its upper end a screwthreaded cap 9. Within the barrel 8 there is arranged a reciprocating plunger 10 which is prevented from rotating by means of a bolt 12 extending through a slot 13. The bolt 12 serves also as a means for pivo aglly connecting the arms 11 to the barrel 8 as is apparent. The arms 11 are in turn pivotally connected by means of bolts 14 to a pair of links 15, the links being in turn pivotally connected as shown at 16 to bellcrauk levers 17. The bell-crank levers 17 are pivotally connected to the head as shown at 18 and are further pivotally connected at their ends as shown at 19 to a clownwardly extending operating rod 20. The rod 20 extends downwardly through the base 5 and is adapted to be reciprocated by any suitable means such as a foot pedal or the like, not shown. In some instances it might be desirable to operatively connect this rod with suitable mechanism by which the device as a whole might be operated by suitable power driven mechanical expedients, not shown, deriving its power from any suitable source. As a means for retaining the rod 20 normally in the position shown in Fig. 1 there is provided a coil spring 21, one end of which engages the base 5 while the other end engages a collar 22 adjustably secured to the rod 20 and held in a desired position by means of a set-screw 23.

A suitable printing head 24 is provided which carries an elongated barrel 25'adapted to receive the lower end of the plunger 10 each other although pivotally connected at a common point as shown at 14. .The prlntas clearly shown in Fig. 1. The lower end of the plunger is retained within the barrel by means of a bolt 26 to which is pivotally connected a pair of arms 27, which arms are in turn pivotally connected to" the links as shown at 14. It is to be understood that the links 15 and the arms 11 and 27 are independent in their movements of ing head 24 comprises a plurality of downwardly extending fingers 28 between which certain printing type 29 are inserted, the

type character being carried by a suitable type plate 30 which is secured to the prlnting, head 24 bymeans of bolts as shown at n 31. The type characters 29 maybe of any conventional form but I prefer to employ type characters having an H-shaped contour in cross section which conform. to the H- shaped slots 32 which are adapted to receive I the printingtype asclearly shown.' It will be noted that the printing type 29 are-each provided 1 with holes 29 extending therethrough. k

These holes make possible the stringing of .the type, in the case of frequently used names and addresses, upon a substantially P U.-shaped clamp 30" in order to insert the plurality of type as aunit into the machine to save time and expedite the printing of ,a quantity of tags. As isapparent from Fig. .5 the type are retainedupon the clamp by bending the free ends of'the clamp at right? anglesto the legs of the clamp as shown at 31. V

. As, a means for automatically supplying inlcto the printing type subsequent to each printing operation there is provided upon the barrel 25 a journal 33 within which arms 34 are pivotally secured as shown at 35. These arms 34 terminate in a head 36 carrying lugs 37 and 38 the function of which lugs will be fully appreciated when considering the hereinafter described operation of the device. To the lower ends of the arms 34 there is pivotally connected a pair of links 39, which links are in turn pivotally connected as shown at 40 to plates 41. Between. the plates 41 there is journaled an inking roller 42 which is adapted to contact with the face of the printing type 29 as it traverses these type subsequent to a printing operation. To the upper end of each of the plates there is pivotally connected a plurality of rollersor guide wheels 43 adapted to traverse the guide slots .44 arranged upon the upper face of the type plate 30. These guide rollers are so spaced with respect to each other that no more than one of each set will be in registration with any one of the slots 32 at a given instant. As a means for retaining the arms 34 normally in the position shown in Fig. 1 there is provided a spring .45 whichis connected at one end to the barrel 25 and at its other end to the head 36 as shown. Pivotally connected tothe head 7 as shown at 46 is a depending dog 47 having engagement with the free end of a leaf spring 48 which is suitably secured to the standard 6 as shown at 49.

Directly beneath the printing head 34- there is arranged a printing table 50 suit ably secured to the base 5. Thisprinting head as clearly shown in Fig. 1 is provided with a recess 51 at the rear to accommodate certain elements of the inking mechanism: as 41 and 42 when the type 29 are moved into contact with the work as hereinafter-..

described. In actual use it will be found desirable to provide some mechanical means in combination with the printing bed to facilitate the correct positioning of the work upon the bed or to adequately guide'the work into printing position, but I have not attempted to show any means whatsoever to print a name or address is placed in-a correct position upon the printing table 50, thecorrect positioning being determined by any desired or selected work guide as above. mentioned. The reciprocating rod 20 is then moved downwardly by suitable foottreadles or other mechanism not shown, causing the pivoted ends 12 and 26 of the arms 11 and 27 respectively to tend to separate. .By

separating the pivotal ends 12 and 26 of these arms the printing head 34 is moved downwardly whereupon the printing type 29 are brought. into engagement with the work, printing thereupon the name or ad dress of the set of type retained within the printing plate. Immediately prior to thecontact of the printing type with the work the dog 47 is movedunderthe influence of the spring 48 into the space afi'orded between lugs 37 and 38. Upon the release of rod 20 it is moved upwardlyv under the in fluence of the spring 21 and at the sametime the printing head 24 is moved upwardly in which instance, due to the engagement of the dog 47 with the lug 37 the'arms 34 are moved to the position as shown in Fig. 4 carrying the inking roller 42 over the face of the type 29. As the movement of the printing head 24 continues upward the lug 38 is brought into contact with. the dog 47 whereupon the dog is released from engagement with the lug 37. Upon the.

disengagement of dog 47 with the lug 37 the spring 45 moves the arms 34 together with the various cooperating elements associated therewith to the position shown in Fig. 1. The various movements as described above are successively continued for each printing operation as will be readily understood. Oftentimes a given set of names and addresses are frequently employed and to obviate the necessity of selecting type each time it is necessary only to insert into the machine as a unit the type of such names and addresses, the type being retained in proper relation from time to time by means of the clamp as hereinbefore described.

It is to be understood that the form of my invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same, and that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure and protect by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

1. In a printing machine, a printing head provided with an elongated plunger adapted to receive a plurality of type retained in proper relation as a single unit, a barrel adapted to receive said plunger, said plunger being free to reciprocate within said barrel but restrained from rotating therein, a pair of arms pivotally connected to said barrel, a second pair of arms pivotally connected to said head, means connected with the other ends of said arms for moving said head to a printing position. resilient means for returning said printing head to a normal position, an inking mechanism for supplying ink to the printing type, said inking mechanism being automatically operated upon the return movement of the printing head to a normal position subsequent to a printing operation, and automatic means for returning said inking mechanism to a normal position.

2. In a printing machine, a base, a head, a barrel carried by said head, a printing head adapted to receive a plurality of type retained in proper relation as a single unit, a plunger connected to said printing head and free to reciprocate within said barrel, a plurality of links pivotally connected with said barrel and said printing head, man ually operated means for moving said links whereby said printing head is moved to a printing position, resilient means for returning said printing head to a normal position, inking mechanism operated upon the return movement of said printing head to Copies of this patent may be obtained for a normal position, said inking mechanism including a roller adapted to traverse the face of said printing head, and spring tension means for returning said inking roller to a normal position.

3. In a printing machine, a printing head provided with a printing plate having grooves adapted to receive printing type, a barrel, a plunger connected to said printing head and free to reciprocate Within said barrel but restrained from rotation therein, means for moving said printing head to a printing position, spring tension means for returning said printing head to a normal position, a pair of plates having an inking roller journaled therebetween and provided with a plu 'ality of guide rollers adapted to traverse said printing plate, a pair of links pivotally connected to said plates, a pair of arms pivotally connected to said links, said arms being pivotally connected with said printing head, said arms terminating in a head provided with lugs, a dog for engaging one of said lugs during the return movement of the printinghead to a normal position whereby said inking roller is moved across said printing type, the other of said lugs being adapted to engage said dog for releasing said dog from its cooperating lug, and spring tension means for returning said inking roller to a normal position upon the disengagement of said lug and do 4. In a printing machine, a printing head, a printing plate carried by said head, said printing plate being adapted to receive printing type and provided with a plurality of grooves, a barrel, a plunger connected to said printing head and free to reciprocate within said barrel, means for moving said printing head to a printing position, spring tension means for returning the printing head to a normal position, means for supplying ink to the printing type, the last named means including a pair of plates having rollers adapted to traverse the grooves of said printingplate, an inking roller journaled between said plates, a pair of links pivotally connected to said plates, a pair of arms pivotally connected to said links at one end and pivotally connected to the printing head at the other end, a head carried by said arms, said head being provided with lugs, a movable dog adapted to engage one of said lugs upon the return movement of the printing head to a normal position, the other of said lugs being adapted to engage said dog for releasing its engagement with the first mentioned lug, and spring tension means for returning said arms, plates and inking roller to a normal position upon the disengagement of said dog with its cooperating lug.

WILLIAM EARLE ELAM.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C. 

